The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) of Qatar visited several facilities were workers are quarantined in Qatar as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The Umm Salal and Mesaieed quarantine facilities were among the centres visited by the NHRC team. They evaluated the sanitary, medical and living conditions of workers there.

The inspections are part of an NHRC effort to ensure the health, safety and well-being of workers in quarantine facilities. Earlier, the NHRC visited penal institutions and places of detention.

On the goals of the visit to some parts of the industrial area that were subject to quarantine, Vice-Chairman of NHRC and chairman of the field visit and monitoring committee Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Kuwari said that based on NHRC's concern for the health and safety of workers, and everyone who lives in the State of Qatar, it visited the various places of the major human gatherings to inspect the precautionary measures followed, following the tasks entrusted to it, and in implementation of the regulations and laws that regulate the work of the committee.

Dr. Al Kuwari explained that NHRC obtained extensive information about the number of workers in some parts of the industrial area that were subject to quarantine, the size of housing facilities, the conditions of residence and housing of workers, shelter services, and the quality of healthy food and nutritional supplements provided to workers in quarantine in the region, especially those with chronic diseases, and the elderly.

During NHRC team's visit to some parts of the industrial area that were subject to quarantine, it inspected the distribution points of the food baskets for workers, the mechanism of work in them, and distributed some necessary health supplies, including free sterile bags and masks for workers to prevent the epidemic, he added.

He pointed out that the visits and monitoring committee team also briefed officials during the meetings on the implementation of the precautionary measures approved by the state in some parts of the industrial area that were subject to quarantine, especially sterilization and cleaning operations that the region has been subject to since the start of the application of the quarantine, and health services provided to residents and workers.

Dr. Al Kuwari added that the team was briefed on the procedures used to treat people infected with the virus, the preventive medical equipment provided for workers to protect them from the risk of transmission of the virus, including the procedures used to isolate the infected and those who had contact with them, and the plans taken to ensure that the epidemic does not transmit within the industrial area.

About the quality of health care provided to infected workers in some parts of the quarantined industrial area, Dr. Al Kuwari said that the field visit and monitoring committee's team reviewed the work of the mobile inspection units inside the industrial area, which are responsible for examining those living there, and the mechanisms used to conduct examinations, as well as reviewing the process of distributing masks and sterilizers, in addition to visiting several commercial complexes, food stores, pharmacies, and open exchange offices in the industrial area.

The officials of the industrial area have informed the team that the medical centers distribute the medicine free of charge to the needy, and the visit was an opportunity to know about the preparation of a new emergency field clinic that will open soon, he added.